Industrial truck



July T7, 195] D. N. WALKER 2,561,300

INDUSTRIAL TRUCK Filed Sept. 24, 1949 Invnlor DANI EL N O R "IN WALKER W R Allomey Patented July 17, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INDUSTRIAL TRUCK Daniel Norman Walker, Birmingham, England, assignor to Coventry Climax Engines Limited, Coventry, England, aBritish company Application September 24, 1949, Serial No. 117,520 In Great Britain September 24, 1948 2 Claims. 1

Trucks of the kind which have a load carrying platform or the like projecting beyond the wheelbase of the truck, require counterbalancin means to prevent the truck from tipping, especially when heavy loads are to be carried. Counterbalancing is particularly important for the type of truck known as a fork-truck which has a raisable load carrying platform or fork members projecting ahead of the vehicle.

The present invention is designed to provide a new or improved construction and arrangement for ballast or counterbalance weights for trucks of the kind referred to.

A further object is to provide a truck havin a load carrying platform at one end, and a substantially solid portion at its opposite end to serve as a counterweight, the said counterweight portion being pivotally connected to the main portion of the truck for rocking movements about a central longitudinal axis, the road wheels for the counterweight end of the truck being carried by the counterweight portion. The counterweight portion may have recesses to accommodate the road wheels the bearings for which latter may be carried by brackets mounted in vertical bearings in the counterweight portion so that these road wheels will be steerable. The counterweight portion may be adjustable longitudinally relative to the main portion of the truck so as to provide increased leverage for counterbalancing exceptionally heavy loads.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings which show one construction for counterbalancing a fork truck, together with a detail modification, by way of example only.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a more or less diagrammatic side view of a fork truck provided with counterbalance means according to the invention,

Figure 2 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of the rear end of the truck shown in Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a detail perspective view, partly in section, showing an alternative mounting for the counterweight portion.

Referring to the particular construction shown in the drawings the invention is applied to a fork truck comprising a body portion In supported by front road wheels II and rear road wheels l2. The truck is provided with a substantially vertical but tiltable mast l3 at its front end immediately ahead of its front wheels II, and a carriage I4 is mounted for raising and lowering movements along the mast, the carriage having forwardly projecting load supporting forks or fingers [5. The rear portion it of the truck is of heavy construction so as to serve as a counterweight for loads carried by the forks or fingers l5. Motive power for the truck is provided by a driving engine, not shown, mounted in the body portion In. The motor and the body portion are of conventional construction and the drive is transmitted from the engine to the front wheels I I in a conventional manner. A central horizontally disposed boom ll projects rearwardly from a bulkhead l8 at the rear of the body portion ID, and this boom l1 serves as a bearing on which the counterweight portion I6 is mounted by means of a bore I6. Consequently the counterweight portion 16 is capable of rocking'movements about a central longitudinal axis relatively to the main portion of the truck. The counterweight portion It has two vertical bores l9, one at each side thereof, and each vertical bore [9 houses bearings 20 for a short vertical shaft 2| which at its lower end carries a bracket 22 for the stub-shaft 23 of one of the rear wheels [2. Each bore I9 leads into a recess 24 which accommodates one of the rear wheels [2. A steering arm 25 is secured on the upper end of each shaft 2|, and these arms 25 are connected to a steering rod 26 which is actuated by means of a hydraulic motor 21 for steering the rear wheels l2. The hydraulic motor 21 is of conventional construction and has a cylinder the opposite ends of which are connected by means of flexible hoses 28 to hydraulic steering mechanism, not shown, controlled by the steering wheel 29 of the truck. It will be understood that the recesses 24 are shaped to permit steering movements of the rear wheels, the minimum amount of material being removed from the counterweight for this purpose. Hydraulic steering mechanism is particularly suitable because the flexible hose 28 will not be affected by the rocking movements of the counterweight portion 16 relatively to the body portion [0. However, any other suitable type of steering mechanism may be employed but in such case it may be necessary to make provision for accommodating the relative rocking movements between the counterweight portion l6 and the body portion In. The steering mechanism is enclosed by a cover 30 which may be made readily detachable to allow easy access to the steering mechanism.

The boom I! has a flange 3| to enable it to be secured to the bulkhead l8 by means of bolts 32, and the bulkhead itself may be detachably secured to the rear end of the frame of the main portion of the truck. Such an arrangement is desirable to allow the counterweight portion to be readily removed from the main portion of the truck for overhauling or servicing of the engine or other parts of the truck.

The rocking movements of theacounterzweighti portion lfirelatively tothe body portion-lfl may be limited in any convenient manner and suit- 6 a bore in said counterweight portion, said boom engaging in said bore whereby said counterweight portiomis rockably mounted-aboutia' substantially oentral'horizontal axis, means resiliently'opposed to and limiting said rocking movements, a vertiable shock absorbers provided. In the construcwm s ad bore in each side of said counterweight portion illustrated a recess 33 is formed inr each side of the bulkhead l8. Each recess 33 houses a stabilising spring 34 of theclowen endtoffwliichi: is anchored to a stud 35 carried 'by'tli'e binkheeid l8 and the upper end is secured to a 'stiidt'fi" carried by the counterweight portion: a Only; one of these stabilising springs 3Mis' show-mim Figure 2 but it will be understood that an exactly similar arrangement is provided on the"opP-- posite side of the truck.

In -Figure 2 the"lioom1l 1 providesia epla-in'zbeaw ing for 'thecounterweight portiontl andcfbr'this'i reason a lubricationzchanneli 31-: extends ithrouglifs the-' boom and its: outer: end is iprovidedrwitlr tion; a: shaft rotatable in each bore, a bracket on the lower end of each shaft, 2. steerable wheel carried by ea'cii bracket, and steering mechanism connecm'df-tmtlieupper ends of said shafts.

2?"A-truck" comprising a body portion, load carryinggmeansaat one end of said body portion amhazbullsheadlat the other end, a boom fixed in connection with said bulkhead and projecting rearwardly' therefrom, a counterweight portion,

20 said bulkhead having two recesses in its rear face;-one at each "side of said boom, with a==spring lroi-rsed iii 'ea'ch: recess; one end of said spring beinganchored to =said 'bulkhead' and the other end of said spring: being connected to said merit is illustrated: which: provides: an: oilless'z bearing and obviates the need: fontstabiliiin springs} 'IIhe b'o'om'i l tbshowni in iEigurez3iisssimia' larilto thatiiillustratedlirnEigure 2 andihasxbeara ing portions 4'1:

oeivesi the: inner ring: 42?." oi-ii a"... cnmposit'ega p,

and mbberlabearing whizlfifhas': amouter rr-ingi 43 and z a? rubberf sleeve: 4& disposecc between: the; innerzandiouter'ringszto whicliritfis bondedz-a The, inneri rings 42: are secured; by keys? 45-1- on the? boom 1 402 and; the outer: rings: 43 r are pressed;

into: the: bores ins-the counterweight portion? of; the truck; Itwill be seen thatsiwith this: arrangement ailimitedamount.ofirooleinggmovementz'will-i be-allowedb between: thew-counterweight portion: 412. Number:

and therbodya portion=- of the truck; 2 the! rubber: sleeve l'fl servingsbobh ato limit this z'rocking move mentzand to provide-a damping; action.

1. Jr truck? comprising? a: body portion, load a carryingimeans at-ione end of' saidubodyportion-2 weiglit portion, said b'oom engaging in saidJ-lciore to provide a bearing on whiohsaidcounterweiglit portion is ro'ckably mountedabout a substantiall$ central i'horizontal axisg wheelssupporting' said Eacha bearing portion: 4 I: re! 31)? body portion, and steerable wheels supporting said counterweightportion;

DANIEL NORMAN WALKER? REFERENCES; CITED:

Tlie*-'following references are of record in the" fil of tliis patent:

UNITED. STATES PATENTS;

Name: Date: 2,090,561'5 wagn'eriuuv Aug; 1'7 ;.193Z 2,242,454 Cbch'ran- .Mayr20'; 15m; 2,327,848 Schroeder Eugen-Q943 2537;109 J ohnsorr Dec'.';21';- 1943s 2,457,789 Dunham: Aug: 2,1949%: 2534;885 Schreck: .Aprl, 18 211950 

